Lock for containers



July 14, 1953 Gs 2,645,112

- LOCK FOR CONTAINERS Filed April 20, 1950 IN vfiv'mz ANTON KRAUS BY 1.17

ArroBMsy Patented July 14, 1953 UNITED STATES PAT-VENT OFFICE Application April 20, 1950, Serial No. 156,974 In Austria May 11, 1949 7 .Claims. (01. 70-67) 1 This invention relates to a lock for containers, such as brief cases, bags, or the like.

In most of the known locks of this type, the

keeper can be locked in any of three different closing positions of the container.

Extensible suitcases with parts sliding one int the other are also known, in which the position of the lid relative to the container to be closed can be adjusted at a row of catches provided at the lid so as to correspond to the degree to which the container is filled. In that known suitcase the row of catches is a part of a special telescopic device which is provided in addition to the lock and to which the keeper is hinged. The invented lock comprises, in combination, a front plate the rear surface of which defines a recess, a longitudinal slot in said front plate for guiding a keeper having side lugs, a plurality of catches provided at the side edges of said slot and adapted to engage withsaid side 1ugs,,a base plate fitting into said .recess and having pins on its top face, a locking plate having bores therethrough .and being provided behind the catches, means for guiding the lockingplate for movement parallel to the longitudinal direction of said slot'between two extreme longitudinal positions and normal to the base plate, said pins and bores being so related as to size and position that the pins will extend through said bores when the locking plate is in one extreme longitudinal position and is depressed, whilesuch depression of the locking plate, when in any,

other longitudinal position, is prevented by the pins being out of alignment with said, bores and engaging the bottom surface of said locking plate, a key engaging lug on said locking plate, two locking notches in said key engaging lug spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the slot, a bolt havingan upright lug adaptedv to engage with either of the locking notches, depending on the respective position of the looking plate, means for preventing the bolt from movement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the slot, a return spring for urging the upright lug into engagement with the respective lug with which it is in register, and resilient means for urging the locking plate against the catches. v

The drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention, by way of example,

Fig. 1 being a top view showing the entire Fig. 3 the exposed plate of'the lock, withthe catch springs and the bolt, I

l 2 l l Fig. 4 a longitudinal section taken along the line IV-IV of Fig. l, and, finally,

Fig. 5 a cross section taken along the line VV of Fig. 1.

The front plate 2 of the lock is fastened in the usual manner on the outside of the front wall I of the brief case, the fastening rivets 4 being secured against tearing out by a counter plate 3 provided on the back of the wall I and corresponding in contour to the cover plate 2. The keeper '6 of the brief case lock is riveted to the cover 5 of the brief case with its fiat portion ta, which embraces the edge of said cover 5. I

The front plate 2 of the lock has in its front, which protrudes over the margin by which it is fastened, a longitudinal slot 1, which widens at the top and in each of whose side edges a row of saw-tooth-like catches 8 is provided. transverse lugs 61) provided at the free end of the keeper 6, which can be introduced through the wider portion of the slot 1, can be secured in 7 these catches, said lugs being adapted to extend below the side'edges of the slot 1. The front plate 2 and the base plate 9, the latter resting directly on the front wall I of the brief case and in contour exactly fitting into the cavity of the front plate 2, form thecasing in which the operative parts of the brief case lock are accommodated. The 'base plate 9, whose side margins 9a are bent at right angles for a distance which corresponds to the depth of the cavity of the front plate, carries upright guide pins 113 for two loose leaf springs ll which are arranged near and parallel with the side margins of the base plate and have bifurcated support ends. A locking plate l2, which is longitudinally displaceable along the longitudinal edges 9a of the base plate 9, is resiliently supported on said springs II and is provided, in the region of the guide pins 1!! [of the base plate 9, with bores [2a which, when the locking plate 12 is in'its unlocked position, that is, when the upper edges of the plates 9 and I2 are in register, are coaxial with the guide pins lfl, which are adapted to pass 1 through said bores when the plate 12 is being ing positions, respectively, of the key engaging The 3 lug, and, at its left-hand edge, an indentation I4, whose limiting surfaces are within the range of the key-web I5.

The bolt consists of a fiat slide IB, which is guided by means of oblong holes against the force of a return spring I8 transversely to the locking plate I2, at two guide pins I1 fixed below th locking plate I2 to the base plate 9 near its bottom end.

An upright lug I9 is formed at the right-hand end of the slide I6, which end forms the supporting edge for the leaf spring I8 fastened to the right-hand guide edge 9a of the base plate. Said upright lug is adapted to engage alternately with the notches I300, 12, of the key engaging lug I3. In the region around the bore 20 for guiding a key pin in the base plate 9 the top edge of the slide I6 has a circular cutting-out 2I, which when the slide is in looking position is concentric with the bore 20 but is limited on the righthand side by an edge 22 which is at right angles with the top edge of the slide and on the one hand permits of the key-web I5 being turned through approximately 270 deg. when the same has been introduced through the key-hole 23 provided in the front plate 2 (Fig. 1), while, on the other hand, said edge 22 can be engaged by the web for displacing the slide I5 against the force of the spring I8.

When the keeper 6 of the brief case closure is introduced through the enlarged portion of the catch slot 1 provided in the front plate 2, and moved downward in said slot as far as the contents of the case will permit, the transverse lugs 61) of the keeper 6, subject to the action of the locking plate II, which is being pressed upward by the springs II, will snap into the downwarddirected, saw-toothlike catches 8 which are reached by the lugs. When the brief case is filled only unilaterally so that the top portion of the brief case and the keeper 6 are at an angle with the slot 1, these catches, into which the lugs snap, need not be in juxtaposition.

The lock cannot open unintentionally however vigorously the brief case is dangled but can open only when the locking plate I2, which resiliently rests on the springs II, is arbitrarily pressed down.

In order to prevent the brief case look from being opened by an incompetent person, the key is introduced into the key-hole 23 of the front plate 2 or" the lock and turned through approximately 270 deg, thereby first displacing by means of the web I5 the slide IE to the right, against the force of the spring I8, whereby the lug I9 of the slide is moved out of the lower notch I3a of the key engaging lug I3. As the key is turned further the key-web I5, engaging with the lower limiting edge of the indentation I4 in the key engaging lug I3, pulls the locking plate I2 downward until the locking nose I9 of the slide I6, subject to the force of the return spring I8, snaps into the upper notch I31) of the key engaging lug I3. In this position the locking plate I2, whose bores I2a are now outside the range of the guide pins Iii of the base plate 9, is fully supported on the pins I so that it cannot be displaced normal to its surface, the keeper 6 thus being prevented from being pulled out.

When the key-web I5 is turned back, in the anticlockwise sense, the slide I6 is again moved against the force of the spring I8, its locking nos I8 being thereby moved out of the notch I31), and subsequently the key-web I5 engages with the oblique limiting edge of the cutting-out I4 of the key engaging lug so as to return the locking plate I2 into its initial position in which the slide lug I9, subject to the force of the return spring I8, snap into the lower notch I30, of the key engaging lug I3.

What I claim is:

1. A lock for a container comprising, a front plate the rear surface of which defines a recess, a longitudinal slot in said front plate for guiding a keeper having side lugs, a plurality of catches provided at side edges of said slot and adapted to engage with said side lugs, a base plate fitting into said recess and pins attached to its top face, a locking plate having bores therethrough and being provided behind the catches, means for guiding the locking plate for movement parallel to the longitudinal direction of said slot between two extreme longitudinal positions and normal to the base plate, said pins and bores being so related as to size and position that the .pins will extend through said bores when the locking plate is in one extreme longitudinal position and is depressed, while such depression of the locking plate, when in any other longitudinal position, is prevented by the pins being out of alignment with said bores and engaging the bottom surface of said locking plate, a key engaging lug on said locking plate, two locking notches in said key engaging lug spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the slot, a bolt having an upright lug adapted to engage with either of the locking notches, depending on whether the looking plate is in one or the other of its extreme longitudinal positions, means for preventing the bolt from movement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the slot, a return spring for urging the upright lug into engagement with the respective notchwith which it is in register, and resilient means for urging the locking plate against the catches.

2. A look as set forth in claim 1, in Which said catches are shaped like saw teeth and are directed obliquely inwardly and downwardly.

3. A look as set forth in claim 1, in which the means for guiding the locking plate comprise margins of said base plate which are upwardly bent at right angles.

4. A look for a container comprising, a front plate the 'rear surface of which defines a recess, a longitudinal slot in said front plate for guiding a keeper having side lugs, a plurality of catches provided at side edges of said slot and adapted to engage with said side lugs, a base plate fitting into said recess and pins attached to its top face, a locking plate having bores therethrough and being provided behind the catches, means for guiding the locking plate for movement parallel to the longitudinal direction of said slot between two extreme longitudinal positions and normal to the base plate, the pins on the latter being arranged in two pairs, and two parallel leaf springs each of which bears with its ends against one of said pairs of pins, the locking plate with the bores therethrough being supported on said leaf springs and having a flat depression in the region of the slot, which depression serves as a guide for the keeper and for limiting the movement of the locking plate against the force of said leaf springs, said pins and bores being so related as to size and position that the pins will extend through said bores when the locking plate is in one extreme longitudinal position and is depressed, while such depression of the locking plate, when in any other longitudinal position, is

prevented by the pins being out of alignment with said bores and engaging the bottom surface of said locking plate.

5. A look for a container comprising, a front plate the rear surface of which defines a recess, a longitudinal slot in said front plate for guiding a keeper having side lugs, a plurality of catches provided at side edges of said slot and adapted to engage with said side lugs, a base plate fitting into said recess and pins attached to its top face, a locking plate having bores therethrough and being provided behind the catches, means for guiding the locking plate for movement parallel to the longitudinal direction of said slot between two extreme longitudinal positions and normal to the base plate, said pins and bores being so related as to size and position that the pins will extend through said bores when the locking plate is in one extreme longitudinal position and is depressed, while such depression of the locking plate, when in any other longitudinal position, is prevented by the pins being out of alignment with said bores and engaging the bottom surface of said locking plate, bolt guide pins on the lower portion of the base plate, a slide having oblong holes which extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the slot and are in engagement with said bolt guide pins, said bolt' guide pins preventing said slide from movement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the slot, a key engaging lug on said locking plate, said key engaging lug overlapping said slide, two locking notches in said key engaging lug spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the slot, an upright lug on said slide being adapted to engage with either of the locking notches, depending on whether the locking plate is in one or the other of its extreme longitudinal positions, a return spring for urging the upright lug into engagement with the respective notch with which it is in register, and resilient means for urging the locking plate against the catches.

6. A look for a container comprising, a front plate the rear surface of which defines a recess, a longitudinal slot in said front plate for guiding a keeper having side lugs, a plurality of catches provided at side edges of said slot and adapted to engage with said side lugs, said front plate further defining a key hole, a base plate fitting into said recess and pins attached to its top face and defining in its lower portion a circular bore for a key pin, a locking plate having bores therethrough and being provided behind the catches, means for guiding the locking plate for movement parallel to the longitudinal direction of said slot between two extreme longitudinal positions and normal to the base plate, said pins and bores being so related as to size and position that the pins will extend through said bores when the locking plate is in one extreme longitudinal position and is depressed, while such depression of the locking plate, when in any other longitudinal position, is prevented by the pins being out of alignment with said bores and engaging the bottom surface of said locking plate, bolt guide pins on the lower portion of the base plate, a slide having oblong holes which extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the slot and are in engagement with said bolt guide pins, said bolt guide pins preventing said slide from movement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of-the slot, an upright lug on and adjacent to one of the ends of the slide, a key engaging lug on said locking plate, two locking notches in said key engaging lug spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the slot, said key engaging lug overlapping said slide, said upright lug being adapted to engage with either of the locking notches, depending on whether the locking plate is in one or the other of its extreme longitudinal positions, a return spring engaging with the slide at the end adjacent to which the upright lug is provided and adapted to urge said upright lug into the respective notch with which it is in register, and resilient means for urging the locking late against the catches, the slide having a limiting edge at right angles with the longitudinal direction of the oblong holes in the slide, said limiting edge being adapted to engage a web of a key introduced through said key hole and stuck with its pin into said circular bore to enable said key to move said upright lug out of engagement with any of the locking notches, the key engaging lug having a V-shaped notch adjacent to said circular bore, said notch being adapted to engage the key web to enable the latter to effect a movement of the locking plate in the longitudinal direction of the slot.

7. A lock as set forth in claimfi, in which the locking notches on the one hand and the V- shaped notch on the other are provided on suchedges of the key engaging lug which are opposite each other in the direction of the oblong holes of the slide.

. ANTON KRAUS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

